Talk:VT-49 Decimator Expansion Pack/@comment-108.65.79.92-20161003231219/@comment-454133-20161004150726
I'd have to trawl through the builds I've used, but a couple things that spring to mind are the surprising ones. Few of these are tournament quality, but I've had lots of fun with them. Experimental Interface plus Expose is quite viable on a decimator (particularly with other upgrades), giving it 4 or 5 dice and a focus token on its turreted weapon. It has no agility to lose, and its modification slot is not terribly contested, and that many dice on a turret is scary, as the decimator isn't particularly worried about getting its bearing right. It's one of the few ways Expose is used well. As you said, double decimator is popular. It's a lot of firepower tied to a lot of HP before that firepower can be disabled. Oicunn in the lead with intimidation makes it a bit harder to justify parking in their way to deny shots; the decimator in the rear is the real firepower source, and can more heavily punish the blocker. Oicunn's free damage and the reduced agility of intimidation makes for a sitting duck. I've seen Tactician + Mercenary Copilot (so at range 2 in arc, or range 3 anywhere, it's doing bad things to the foe), plus Mara Jade (turn up the heat at range 1) or Gunner (really putting pressure on agile foes to spend their tokens and still take damage), all on Rear Admiral Chiraneau. Stack the harm on a high-priority target, and bait the foe into a trap that your other ships can exploit (and the decimator itself gives as good as it gets). The turreted decimator makes a good escourt for a shuttle or officer tube (Lambda Shuttle or TIE Bomber loaded with some mix of officers like Intelligence Agent, Systems Officer, and/or Fleet Officer to support the team), especially if the decimator has Tactical Jammer. I like to pair an officer tube with a EI+Expose decimator, so I'm firing up to 5 dice with a focus and lock, even if I clipped an asteroid or another ship. Or you can cram the emperor into the shuttle for a Palpmobile (but I don't have emperor, so I've never played it). I'm overly fond of sticking Darth Vader (Crew) in a Decimator with Gunner, focus-firing down a target's shields with my fleet, and then pouring on shot hits plus bonus crits with vader until the target collapses into a flaming slag heap. The Decimator's high HP lets it afford the vader damage, and you might as well pour out that extra damage since the enemy's going to be hitting you hard anyway. Kill foes faster than they can kill you, and you're going to drastically tip the balance in your favor. I sometimes like to pair a decimator with a Firespray. The firespray has mobility and agility to complement the decimator, and a bomb or cannon to further lay on the hurt. Kath sports less total HP, but shaves off a lot of hits with that agility, and does wonders with a mangler cannon and Tactician (pairing nicely with the decimator's stressor options). Heavy stress to inhibit your foe's maneuvers and actions, plus heavy damage, and you wilt the target pretty quickly. Other people likely have even more fun builds.